Fishing rod holders are in common use by anglers. These rod holders come in many designs and serve many purposes. Some rod holders are made to be permanently installed in a home, camp, or shop, as a place to store rods when they are not in use. Other rod holders are installed on boats, to either store rods until they are needed, or to hold a rod when it is being used, for example, while trolling. Rod holders are also used in vehicles to hold the rods when they are being transported to and from a fishing location.
The latter type of rod holder is becoming more common as more anglers live and fish in different places. Some anglers simply put their rods into rod holders on their boat and then pull the boat (on a trailer) to the fishing location. This arrangement works for some anglers, but it does not work for all anglers. Some boats have rod holders mounted high, that is, above the heads of anglers standing in the boat. This may work well when the boat is in the water, but it is not a viable option for transporting rods over a long distance while the boat is being towed behind a vehicle. If that were done, the rods may extend up to 20′ into the air, and might hit many objects like the underside of highway overpasses and bridges, not to mention low-hanging power lines. If the rods hit such items, the rods probably would be damaged or broken beyond repair.
In addition, many anglers leave their boats at the fishing location. Some fishing boats are too large to trailer, and therefore, are kept at marinas. Other boats are kept on trailers at marinas or in storage locations near the desired marina. These arrangements allow the angler to simply drive a vehicle to the fishing location, thus eliminating the need to tow a boat. These anglers face a difficult choice concerning their rods and reels. They can leave this gear with the boat, or they can transport it back and forth.
The latter option is preferred by many anglers for a number of reasons. First, fishing rods and reels can be quite expensive, and the potential loss through theft from a stored boat is a big concern. Some fishing rod and reel combinations costs several thousand dollars. Even with security at a marina, few anglers will feel safe leaving tens of thousands of dollars of gear on their boat. For the same reason, most anglers remove portable electronic gear from boats kept in storage, too.
This creates a need for a rod holder in the angler's vehicle. A number of designs have been created for this purpose. Most are designed for use with pick-up trucks or sport utility vehicles (SUVs), because most anglers use these types of vehicles. Pick-up truck mounted rod holders typically feature a single bar or other long member that extends from one side of the truck bed to the other, usually in the direction perpendicular to the length of the truck. A number of individual rod holders (e.g., 4-6) are installed on the bar or rod, and the assembly is then secured to the truck bed.
These typical pick-up truck rod holders work reasonably well, but they suffer from a number of problems. For example, most are not securely mounted to the truck. Some use pressure exerted against the sides of the truck bed to secure the rod holder. Others secure the rod holders to existing tie-down brackets or other structure in a truck bed. These designs are not very secure. They may become detached from the truck bed due to vibrations during travel. In addition, they are vulnerable to theft, because a would-be thief need only disconnect the rod holder from the truck bed and the entire assembly can then be taken.
These rod holders are also too small. They typically hold 4-6 rods in a single row. That is not sufficient for many anglers. Many anglers will take eight or more rods with them on a fishing trip. If the fishing crew includes four anglers, then it is likely the group will bring at least eight rod and reel combinations. There is a need for a solid and secure rod holder with a larger capacity than is found in current products.
Existing pick-up truck bed rod holders are also not solid and robust enough for use with large, expensive tackle. Some large rod and reel combinations weigh several pounds each, and a rack holding 4-6 such rods needs to be capable of supporting 30 or 40 pounds or more. The existing rod holders simply lack the strength and durability to handle rods of that size. This is a key shortcoming, because the larger rod and reel combinations are typically the most expensive, and for that reason, anglers using this type of tackle need a very secure and reliable rod holder.
To make a rod holder more secure and less prone to theft by removal from the vehicle, some designers have made rod holders that are directly mounted to the truck bed. These rod holders provide more stability and security, but they cannot be easily removed from the truck. These designs are typically permanent or semi-permanent additions to a pick-up truck bed. This arrangement is not desirable, because most anglers who own pick-up trucks use their trucks for other things, like hauling plywood sheets, landscaping materials, or other things. Having a fishing rod holder always taking up space in the bed of the truck is not desirable.
Anglers, particularly salt water anglers, need to clean their fishing rods and reels after a fishing trip. There are many ways to do this, but most anglers probably just wash their rod and reel combinations one-at-a-time, with each combo leaned against some structure while it is washed. There is a need, therefore, for a rod holder that could be used to make cleaning the tackle easier for anglers.